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as<e 4* ^SSR&i rfSKE jn ■ VOLUME 4 DECEMBER 1942 NUMBER 6 6y tAe fyldnMi-ce- ScAavA itt t&£ wit&tZiA Sefaje&fiid. T ’ J£ RESTRICTED IN THIS ISSUE SPECIAL FEATURES Cover drawing by Private James E. Cook, of the Art Section of Editorial......................................................................................................... 507 The Ordnance School, based on photographs by the Photographic Section of The Ordnance School. Recovery and Evacuation............................................................................ 508 Field Rigging..................................................................................................517 Machines and Mechanical Advantage......................................... 518 Rope and Its Care......................................................................... 520 Strength of Rope...............................................................................522 Blocks and Tackle......................................................................... 524 HIGHLIGHTS Hoisting Devices............................................................................ 526 Recovery and evacuation of materiel from the battlefield is rapidly Essential Knots, Bends and Hitches........................................... 529 becoming a most Important subject. Much is still to be learned about it, but knowledge Is increasing dally. Provided for your information In this Wire Rope...................................................................................... 532 Issue is a rather comprehensive study of the subject, dealing both In or Data on Materiel......................................................................................... 537 ganisation and in technique. See page 508. Camouflage.................................................................................................... 538 Booby Traps................................................................................................. 543 Closely allied to Recovery and Evacuation are such subjects as Gasoline Field Range, M1937 ................................................................... 544 Field Rigging, on pages 517 to 535, Dau on Matoriel on page 537, Camou It’s an Idea.................................................................................................... 549 flage on pages 538 to M2, and Booby Traps on page M3. Ordnance Field Service Technical Bulletins......................................... 551 Field Service Modification Work Orders.............................................. 551 Havo you serviced a gasoline field range yet? If not, you probably will before this war Is over. This is now a function of Ordnance mainte MONTHLY FEATURES nance troops. Inherited from the Quartermaster Corps. A brief study of the gasoline Field Range, Ml937, Is to be found on page 544. Also, plans aro provided for tho local manufacture of a trailer designed to service the field range, approved by the Office of the Chief of Ordnance. SMALL ARMS.............................................................................................. 552 Vickers Machine Gun, Cal. .303, M1915 ARTILLERY................................................................................................. 556 Generator Control Systems, beginning on page 559, tells a lot of Fundamentals of Artillery Weapons - Part IV things about the nervous system of the automotive vehicle. AUTOMOTIVE..................................................................................................559 Generator Control Systems Desertion, now that we are at war. is a most serious offense. It FIRE CONTROL......................................................................................... 567 calls for a great deal of paper work, and this sometimes troublesome Maintenance of M5 and M6 Director subject is discussed in an article beginning on page 572. ADMINISTRATION...................................................................................... 572 Desertion A knowledge of mechanical drawing principles makes any shop DEPOT AND SUPPLY....................................................................................576 mona np amgeo r5e8 0v awluilal balded. aA lritetvleie wfin oisf hth oer d pisocliusshs itoon y oofu trh sihs ospu bvjaelcute .b egTihnnisi nigs Report of Survey the forerunner to a series of articles on Shop Mathematics, which will MACHINE SHOP......................................................................................... 580 begin in the January, 1943, Issue. Mechanical Drawing WELDING...................................................................................................... 585 Types of Welding Joints FORGING...................................................................................................... 588 Tool Forgings AMMUNITION..................................................................................................590 Shipment of Ammunition AVIATION ORDNANCE.............................................................................. 593 "Final" type Pyrotechnic Signals Address all communications to: THE ORDNANCE ORDNANCE TRAINING ACTIVITIES...................................................... 598 SERGEANT, The Ordnance School, Ordnance Training Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Lansing Section, The Ordnance School Maryland. "RESTRICTED" Restricted military information will not be communicated to the public or to the press but maybe given to any person known to be in the TRHEEP ORORDDUNCATNICOEN SPCLHAONOTL service of the United States and to persons of undoubted loyalty and dis ABERDEENM APRRYOLVAINNGD GROUND cretion who are cooperating in Government work. THE ORDNANCE SERGEANT December This month we observe our second wartime Christmas of the present war. There is a vast difference between Christmas this year and Christmas a year ago. A year ago we were just recovering from the first shock of war, for even the expected is a shock when it suddenly brings tragedy to us. A year ago we were poised, but not sure how far we could leap. We had not reached our stride; we had not settled down to the long and gruelling task ahead of us. This year we find ourselves in a different position. We have be come a well organized war machine. We have not yet reached our stride, for our best of yesterday is exceeded today, and our utmost efforts of today will be more than equalled tomorrow. We know not our own strength. We do know, as our enemies fear, that our might shall continue to grow, even as our enemies weaken, until our task is done — until peace replaces war. Today American fighting youth are in their places on all the far flung battlefields of a world at war. Under the blistering sun they force their war across desert sands. In the frozen snow and ice of the north land they guard and enforce the principles of freedom. In the swamps and jungles of the tropics they fight and die that the rights of others may live. Wherever American fighting men go they find close behind them the men who keep them supplied with the implements of war which they will wield to insure peace. And at home, in the training camps and in the Arsenals of Democracy, Ordnance personnel adds to the effort. Of glory these menreceive but little; of that inner realization of service well done they experience much. To each and every individual of the Ordnance Department, wher ever they may be, and to every fighting man they serve, The Ordnance School extends greetings of the Season. May the Christmas Season bring to you that success which shall guarantee every Christmas of the future. May the New Year signal not a beginning, but a continuation of the courage and heroism which has always brought glory to American arms. "After the hideous fires of hate Burn down and their hot flames decrease. Across the earth, though soon or late, There will come peace." 508 THE ORDNANCE SERGEANT December There was a day when Ordnance equip pense of time, labor, ships, and money. Loss herein will be activated in the near future. Re- ment consisted almost entirely of those weapons of materiel in this case is very real. centT/O’s for Ordnance maintenance companies carried by the individuals engagedin combat. In show the trend toward recovery operations. The our early wars these weapons were often the To meet this modern situation new Heavy Maintenance Company has a Recovery property of the individuals who used them, methods of recovery and evacuation of Ordnance subsection in its Automotive Section, equipped brought with them from their homes when they materiel must be, and are being, devised. This with three (3) 40-ton trailers, recovery. The offered their services to the armed forces of the study represents the opinions of the authors. It Medium Maintenance Company has in its Auto Nation, or to their Colonial or State Militia. is tentative in every way, and as yet has not motive Section one (1) of these trailers, as well been approved by either the Ordnance Depart as a heavy wrecker which may or may not be in ment or the War Department. It is subject, tended and used for recovery operations.The new Methods of warfare have advanced along also, to revisions based upon the recommenda Light Maintenance Company, now assigned to the with the more desirable phases of civilization. tions of the combat forces. Infantry Division, has a Recovery Subsection in The more or less haphazard open warfare of our its Automotive Section. The fact that this unit early days succumbed to the theories of trench The organization for recovery and evacu has no recovery equipment except one (1) heavy warfare in the first World War. Artillery be ation suggested herein is merely one means by wrecker, however, may be an indication that it came a supporting arm rather than one used which the task may be accomplished. It is prob will engage only in light recovery operations and for any purpose in any situation, wherever its able that organizations similar to that described will be supported by Medium or Heavy Mainte use might be possible, even if not practical. nance Companies, or possibly by one or more Evacuation Companies, depending upon the situ Born of the first World War was the ation, as indicated in this study. moving, or rolling or crawling fortification — the tank. The day of mobility had begun. Other Related to the general subject of Re vehicles, too, were added to the list of fighting covery and Evacuation, of course, are certain equipment in use. The day of the individual other subjects, such as camouflage, rigging, weapon had definitely passed into history. In and the removal of wounded personnel. These its place had come the "weapon" manned and subjects are covered briefly in this study. operated by a group of men. The individual weapon could be kept in the possession of its owner as long as he retained the strength to grasp it. When this was no longer possible, the loss of his weapon meant practically nothing. The man who took his place would have a weapon of his own. Tractor of T-3 unit Modern fighting vehicles present an en tirely different problem. The tank, for example, when it becomes disabled, cannot be carried from the field of battle by the men who have taken it there. This item of Ordnance materiel must therefore be removed by some other agency. Loss of the materiel represents a dif - Tractor of T-J unit with trailer ferent problem too. It must be replaced by dropped another manufactured at great cost and trans ported perhaps thousands of miles at the ex 1942 THE ORDNANCE SERGEANT 509 RECOVERY AND EVACUATION the e*vacuation and for destruction if evacu ation is impracticable. Actual destruction will The prompt recovery ♦ and repair of not be carried out without orders from the equipment which has been abandoned or dis commander responsible for the stores, unless communication with the commander is im abled in the field, the exploitation of enemy possible. supplies, and the utilization of waste materials are important measures for conservation of The collection and study of captured military resources. Modern warfare has shown that the prompt recovery and repair of materiel equipment and materiel is an intelligence func tion of the supply arms and services. Intelligence is as important as the initial production of functions must be specifically allocated to an equipment. Immediate recovery lightens the officer on the staff of every Ordnance battalion; heavy transportation requirements of supply and both maintenance and ammunition, and to specific is particularly essential where supply lines officers on the staffs of Ordnance officers of all are vulnerable to enemy attacks and where the echelons in the theater of operations. These status of supply of certain items is critical. staff officers will prepare plans and instructions Broken track Prompt recovery from the battlefield prevents for the disposition of any enemy Ordnance ma the materiel from falling into enemy hands and teriel which may be captured. These plans will MJ tank digging In on tovlng without a track prevents further destruction by the enemy. be prepared in conjunction with G-2. In general, Battles in the present war indicate that a stalled such planswill include lists of enemy equipment vehicle immediately becomes the target for all on which information is specifically desired, enemy guns. Therefore, if a tank is not re component parts required for repair of captured moved from the battlefield almost as soon as materiel, or ammunition for such weapons. it is disabled, it will be damaged to such an ex Competent specialists in the various echelons tent that its recovery will not be possible except of maintenance will examine enemy equipment by salvage operations after the battle has passed for new or improved types and will send samples on elsewhere. Recovery also secures enemy to the communications zone for further study and materiel, thus preventing its repair and re-use test as directed by higher headquarters. by the enemy and thereby doubly increasing our own resources. The recovery of enemy materiel Damaged materiel found on the battlefields will usually make available Information concern will be repaired, if possible, by the first and ing new developments in their equipment. Winter Weiss trailer with MJ tank It is the responsibility of the using troops to recover disabled materiel and to perform first and second echelon maintenance operations. The era! area in which materiel will be dispersed recovery operations of these units consist of re either in small groups, in the case of small items, pairing materiel on the spot or towing it to a or individually, in the case of tanks or other large place where an Ordnance unit can take it over. vehicles. Camouflage will be used extensively in such areas, especially where the enemy observa The Ordnance Department is responsible, tion and combat forces are active. among other things, for the reception and reclamation of captured enemy or abandoned When items of Ordnance materiel are friendly Ordnance materiel,general supplies,and brought to a collecting point, there are two ammunition. It is also responsible for the alternatives for its disposal. These are: destruction of ammunition when required. This latter responsibility includes the destruction or Repairable materiel. - Serviceable and removal of duds or delayed-action bombs and second echelons of maintenance. If the mainte repairable Ordnance property Is reported to the other ammunition. nance required is beyond the capabilities of the Ordnance maintenance echelon in support of the Ordinance staff officers, in addition to using troops, they will evacuate the materiel to troops. The maintenance unit will send suitable their other duties, are responsible for the re a collecting p*,oint where it is accessible to an transportation to pick up this materiel, or, if covery and repair of Ordnance materiel in their Ordnance unit, or will report its location to such the materiel is in excess of requirements, will respective echelons. The Ordnance officers of a unit. Liaison agents from the maintenance instruct the quartermaster service to evacuate the communications zone must control the re battalion and/or evacuation company will contact it to the communications zone. In the case of ception, classification, and assignment for re the combat troops and will notify their head heavy equipment, such as tanks, combat cars, pair of all Ordnance materiel evacuated from quarters of materiel being sent to the collecting etc., they will send a unitfrom the evacuation the combat zone by the Ordnance service of the point. On the basis of this report or the report company to transport it to the proper mainte armies, or released to the Ordnance service of liaison agents at the collecting point, the nance echelon. For small items of equipment, of the communications zone by the central maintenance battalion will send either a contact a truck will be dispatched from one of the mainte quartermaster s*alvage agency. p*arty from one of the maintenance companies nance companies. Upon repair, such equipment with the necessary personnel and equipment for is returned to the chain of supply as a replace Preparing to drop the the repair of the item at the collecting point, or, ment item. Items brought to the maintenance T-3 trailer if necessary, a unitfrom the evacuation company shop by any organization, other than the using to transport the materiel back to the field shop. arm, loses its ownership and becomes merely If the damage is beyond the capabilities of the Beginning recovery of tank shown on preceding maintenance battalion, or if the maintenance load page is already excessive, the evacuation unit will normally be directed to carry the materiel to a higher maintenance echelon. The above pro cedure applies equally as well to captured enemy materiel as to our own. Collecting points are designated in ad ministrative orders of divisions and higher units. They will usually be in locations easily access ible to vehicles for transportation to the rear. Ordnance staff officers will prepare These points should NOT be places of limited plans to prevent Ordnance stores from falling area where equipment is grouped together in into enemy hands. Such plans will provide for large quantities. Such disposition furnishes an * De fl nit lone of terms indicated by an aeterlek excellent target for enemy aircraft and artillery. will be found on page 516. Rather, a collecting point will usually be a gen- 510 THE ORDNANCE SERGEANT December an item of reissue. Items which are to be evacu representative there will Inform the supporting ated to base shops and which contain required Ordnance maintenance company of the materiel parts will be c*annibalized in the maintenance collected. Then, a contact party from the instru shops for such serviceable parts. Items ob ment repair section of the company will be sent tained in this manner will be replaced by the out with the necessary personnel and equipment unserviceable parts which they displace. This to take over the responsibility for disposition of gives the higher echelon a complete major item such instruments. to repair. Parts which are beyond repair will be turned over to the quartermaster salvage service for disposition by the higher echelon. Ammunition. - Collection. - The Ordnance personnel at the collecting point or salvage dump Irreparable materiel. - Small items of will arrange for ammunition companies to take Ordnance materiel which are beyond repair custody of recovered ammunition and salvage and which do not contain any usable or repair able components which can be placed into depot able required parts may be left in the hands of stocks. Salvage and combat troops must be in the quartermaster salvage service for evacua formed of enemy ammunition which can be used. tion to the communications zone. In the event Such items will be disposed of in the same way any usable Ordnance materiel is evacuated by as our own ammunition. Enemy ammunition the quartermaster salvage service, it will be which is not usable and which does not have sorted out in the salvage depot tinder the super any intelligence value will, if possible, be de vision of the Ordnance personnel attached to the stroyed on the spot. The recovery unit in operation Inspection. - Prompt examination of recovered or captured ammunition by qualified Ordnance personnel is the responsibility of the Above: The tank approaches the trailer, and Ordnance representative at the salvage dump. belov: It le drawn onto the trailer by cables Such personnel will recommend the disposition of the ammunition in accordance with instruc If the equipment is found unserviceable, tions from higher headquarters. Care should the pertinent service will be notified through the special staff or through G-4 in order that the be exercised in the examination of enemy am proper personnel and equipment may be sent munition in order to avoid booby t*.raps to the Ordnance maintenance shop to repair or replace the damaged item. Disposition by ammunition companies. - Serviceable ammunition taken over by the am If the major item is beyond repair .the munition company is placedin the ASP stock and pertinent service will be so notified inorder that reported to the army Ordnance officer, and it they may have the opportunity to salvage such of may be immediately reissued to troop units as their equipment as may be desirable. required. depot and will be turned over to the Ordnance Liaison must be maintained between the shops in the communications zone for disposi It may be frequently found that major collecting point and the Ordnance maintenance tion. items of Ordnance materiel will include items echelon. In periods of relative quiet this liaison from other services. This is exemplified by may be performed by contact parties from the Special cases. - Delicate instruments. - the radios found in tanks (Signal Corps equip Ordnance maintenance battalions, or, in the case Instruments of a delicate nature, such as most ment). Plans for the evacuation and disposition of the triangular infantry division, the light optical instruments, data computors, height of this equipment should be worked out between maintenance company. A daily visit to the finders, etc. .require special handling and special the pertinent services, and these plans trans collecting point designated for the units served care during transportation. Consequently, these mitted to the maintenance companies. by the contact party will usually suffice. In items of equipment must be evacuated through active operations, however, liaison between Ordnance channels by men accustomed to hand Equipment which isfound serviceable may the collecting point and the Ordnance mainte ling them. Therefore, when any instruments of be left as an integral part of the major item and nance battalion must be continuous. Permanent this type are found in the field or picked up and returned to service with it after the major item liaison agents should be assigned to each collect brought to the collecting point, the Ordnance is repaired. ing point. It will be the responsibility of these agents to determine the disposition of all Ord Th® recovery unit In operation nance materiel brought to the collecting point. He will also see that contact parties or evacuation units coming to the collecting point are shown the location of the equipment which they have been sent to repair or evacuate. Liaison agents will normally maintain communication with the maintenance battalion by means of radio. They will send in their reports and also receive in structions by this means. Radio communication will be supplemented by telephone wherever possible. In the event that neither means of communication is available, messengers will be used to maintain contact between the various units. Maintenance echelons of the using troops are equipped with vehicles which may be used for recovery operations. These vehicles include the prime movers, trucks, wreckers, and trac tors. Also any combat vehicle may be used to tow another vehicle of the same type or one which is lighter. These vehicles will be used to unditch bogged vehicles or weapons, to right overturned equipment, and tow disabled materiel to collect ing points, where it is turned over to Ordnance maintenance echelons for repair and reissue. 1942 THE ORDNANCE SERGEANT 511 The armored force presents a special recovery problem in that the equipment in volved is heavy and cumbersome. However, the organic vehicles of the combat troops are capable of doing their own recovery. For ex ample, a tank can be towed by another tank, a half-track by another half-track, etc. In general any vehicle can tow a similar vehicle or a lighter one. To assist in this work of recovery, the maintenance section of each tank company, the appropriate section of each armored infantry regiment, and engineer and field artillery battalions are assigned special recovery ve hicles. This vehicle is an armored tractor, armed with a cal. .50 machine gun for its own protection. It carries a maintenance crew and operates on the battlefield. If the damaged item requires repairs beyond the capabilities of the crew, they will tow the disabled equipment from the scene of combat to second echelon mainte nance shops or to collecting points, depending upon the extent of repairs necessary. Shoving ekid in place to guide tank onto trailer vhile being loaded Care must be exercisedin the handling of the opinion of experienced observers, the re materiel which may have been contaminated with moval of an essential part from a stalled vehicle gas. Whenever possible, this materiel should be left on the battlefield is not an effective means decontaminated by the recovery unit before being of denying the use of the vehicle to the enemy. moved, or, in any event, as soon as practicable. Such a system requires a very thorough dis When decontamination is beyond their means or ciplinary drill to insure that the men remove there are chemical warfare troops available, the the same part every time. If they do not, as is recovery unit will plainly tag the materiel and usually the case in the excitement of battle con report its location to the Chemical Warfare ditions, the enemy can use two abandoned ve Service. Upon the completion of the task of hicles to make one which can operate. Therefore, decontamination, the chemical troops concerned the only practicable solution seems to be the will notify the appropriate recovery unit. complete destruction of vehicles and other After damaged materiel has been decon equipment which are not recovered. Instructions taminated, its disposition is the same as that of for such destruction are issued with each major other recovered materiel. However, as a pre item by the issuing service. cautionary measure, all such equipment should Evacuation operations are assigned to be plainly tagged with date and type of con Ordnance evacuation companies. These are tamination, and the measures employed. equipped with large transporter units capable of carrying heavy items of Ordnance materiel. A Any equipment which, for any reason, is detailed description of a proposed organization not recovered should be thoroughly destroyed. In for these companies is included later in this Above: Tractor of T-5 unit using vlnch to tov study. tank In difficult terrain. Belov: The tank Each maintenance battalion in an armored being toved. division will have an evacuation company. In the field army, one company will be assigned to the The training of combat units should in maintenance and supply battalion. Theater re clude methods of covering the recovery vehicle serve will also include evacuation companies and crew by fire when they go forward to save a which may be assigned to assist in evacuation damaged vehicle during the battle. Full con operations as required. sideration should be given to the use of smoke Left: by the recovery crew, whenever the situation A cloee-up of the akld in use allows, to cover their operations on the battle Belov: field. A side view shoving the skid In use Combat troops of the infantry division recover their own unserviceable materiel. In the case of small items, these are transported to the division maintenance office by ammunition trains on their way to the rear for ammunition. If the organization does not have the facilities or transportation to accomplish this movement, the maintenance office will arrange with the corps maintenance battalion for the necessary facilities to move the materiel. The Air Forces have their own organi zation for recovery. In the process of recovery of their own and captured planes, they will re cover Ordnance materiel which forms a part of the unit. Such recovered items will be turned over to the proper Ordnance section as a mainte nance job. 512 THE ORDNANCE SERGEANT December The Ordnance evacuation company is essentially a transporting agency. It is charged with the following specific missions: EVACUATION COMPANY (1) Clearing recovered equipment from collecting points and the transportation of such materiel to the proper maintenance shop for repair. (2) Transportation of serviceable ma teriel to the front. The following is a discussion of the or pany is on a detached mission, it will normally (3) Assisting in the movement of Ord ganization and functions of the evacuation com draw its supplies from the echelon to which it nance general depots and maintenance shops. pany. This company is the Ordnance organiza is attached. tion charged with the responsibility for the solu (4) Assisting the quartermaster salvage tion of the problem of evacuation which has been The company commander is responsible service in clearing battlefields of salvage when discussed. The arrangement given here of per for the training of die company. He must con not otherwise engaged. Its main function on the sonnel and equipment within the organization tinuously plan a course of action to be carried mission will be the handling of large and heavy should not be considered as limiting in any re out in all foreseen circumstances and must items with which the quartermaster is not spect. It is offered merely as a guide, and it supervise the training of personnel in the proper equipped to deal. may be altered in the field by responsible performance of their duties. This training must commanders to fit any particular situation. work toward the goal of automatic performance of duties so that they will be carried on even in The mission of the Ordnance evacuation times of great stress, and so that a high degree company is as follows: of coordination between individuals and units will weld the whole into an efficient working team. a. The transportation of disabled Ord One evacuation company is assigned to the nance materiel from points along the axis of maintenance and supply battalion of the army. supply and e*vacuation and from collecting points to Ordnance shops for repair. In addition to the above, o te company is assigned to the maintenance battalion of each b. In the case of a retirement by our armored division. troops, the evacuation of all Ordnance materiel from those areas which are likely to fall into the Other companies will be assigned to hands of the enemy. theater reserve, where they can be assigned to combat units as the situation demands. c. Assisting in the movement of depots and maintenance shops whenever the time and/or The organization of an evacuation com equipment is available. pany is shown in T/O 9-187, on this page. d. The transportation of materiel be The evacuation company is divided into tween maintenance echelons. three platoons of 6 heavy and Hight squads each. A schematic diagram of the organization is e. The transportation of serviceable shown on the next page. items forward. All personnel of the evacuation company f. Assisting the quartermaster salvage are^armed. In general, officers and NCO’s of troops after an advance in clearing areas of large the first three grades will carry carbines, and items of salvage equipment which the quarter the rest of the enlisted men will carry the cal. master service is not equipped to handle. .30 rifle. Since it is expected that these com panies will usually operate some distance be When the company is operating as part of hind the front lines they carry only defensive a maintenance battalion, it will be supplied weapons. Evacuating units will be armored through the supply office of the battalion in ac against cal. .30 fire and will carry a cal. .50 cordance with the procedures outlined in para machine gun for antiaircraft and ground pro graphs 142 and 143 of FM 9-10. When the com tection. Above: The skid in place over rear vheela of trailer. Belov: Ramp and ramp skid In place ORGANIZATION OF ORDNANCE EVACUATION COMPANY Salvage operations in the theater of opera tions are a responsibility of the Quartermaster Corps, which may be assisted by Ordnance evacu ating units or combat troops when these are not otherwise employed. The quartermaster agency charged with the collection and evacuation of salvaged materi el is the salvage collecting company(T/010-187). This is a theater reserve unit. Its mission is the receipt, collection, basic classification, and evacuation to depots in the communications zone of all classes of waste material, salvage, aban doned property, and unserviceable suppl les from combat areas, collecting points, dumps, and railheads. The company has attached to it specialists from the Ordnance Department, Chemical Warfare Service, and Signal Corps for the supervision of the basic segregation of technical property of their respective ser vices. Such specialists also make recommenda tions as to the proper disposition of such ma terial. Sections of the company will have personnel assigned to them as required. 1942 THE ORDNANCE SERGEANT 513 The general-purpose vehicles assigned All these vehicles are common through In order for the evacuation company to to this company are: out the army, and no description of them will be operate at peak efficiency and with a minimum given here. loss of down-time, the evacuation loads should be equally distributed between the various Truck, 1/4-ton, 4x4 Each heavy squad in the operating platoon platoons. This will not always be possible, Truck, 3/4-ton, 4x4 (command with is equipped with a special transporter unit. This but should be constantly borne in mind as the winch) unit is a vehicle capable of transporting tanks ideal solution. This ideal will be particularly Truck, 3/4-ton, 4x4 (weapon carrier) and other heavy items of Ordnance materiel. The difficult to obtain when the company is operat Truck, 2-1/2-ton, 6x6, cargo with winch light squad is equipped with a heavy wrecker. ing over a wide area, as in the case of the evacuation company assigned to the field army, or in cases where the situation is changing rapidly. The actual solution adopted will de pend on the tactical situation. The preparation of plans to fit the particular situation is the T/O 9-187 responsibility of the company commander. He is also responsible for the execution of these plans when they are approved by higher head quarters. Two possible solutions to the prob lem are suggested below. TABLE OF ORGANIZATION WAR DEPARTMENT, No. 9-187 Washington, October 2, 1942. Centralized company control. - In this situation, the entire company would operate ORDNANCE EVACUATION COMPANY from a central bivouac; the loads on the platoons would be equalized by the assignment of missions Designaiion: t_____Ordnance Evacuation Company from company headquarters to the platoon with the lightest load. This method requires a high 6 io degree of direct supervision of the company. Company supply and messing problems are de 3 recovers- pla creased. However, the average distance to be toons (each) covered per mission will be high, and the num ber of missions to be handled in a given time Will Remarks be small. Dispersed platoon control. - This solu tion allows the platoon to operate from a location convenient to its work. This will decrease the down-time and increase the number of missions 23 CFiarpstta liineutenant .. P t• lnEsxeerctu ntiuvme bofefri coefr c.om- that can be handled. Also, liaison work will be 4 Second lieutenant facilitated by the close proximity to the collect » Property, mess and 6 Total commissioned liaison officer. ing point, and movement of platoons will be ' One of these men will facilitated. The disadvantages of this solution 6 First sergeant (585)....................... also act as orderly (695). 7 Technical sergeant, including.... a Will also drive tanks are that the supply and messing of the company 8 Platoon chief(014) .. In recovery operations. becomes complicated; it is difficultfor company 9 Staff sergeant, including •These guns are 10 Mess (824)......... . mounted 1 per 4 2h-ton headquarters to maintain close control over the 11 Motor (813).......... trucks (or heavier) listed platoons, and this may result in wide variations 12 Supply (821)........ on this table. 13 Sergeant. Including . The serial number in the load imposed on any one platoon. Within 14 Reconnaissance (744) symbol shown in paren this solution, there are two methods of assigning 15 Squad leader (653).. theses is an inseparable 16 Corporal, Including.... part of the specialist the evacuation platoons. These are: 17 Cle.'k, company (405) designation. A number 18 Technician, grade 4 below 500 refers to an 19 Technician, grade 5 occupational specialist 2210 PPrriivvaattee,. ...f.i.r..s..t. ...c.lass(-nclu<" E " wyshiso sies qfouuanlidfi cinat iAonR a 6n1a5l- Assignment to tactical units. - Platoons 22 Chauffeur (344 26. A number above 500 may be assigned to support definite tactical or 2234 CChhaauuffffeeuurr ((324445 ) rpeafteirosn taol as pmeciliiatlaisryt loisctceud ganizations. This arrangement allows the platoon 25 Chauffeur (245) m Circular No. 14, War and the tactical unit to get acquainted with each 26 Cook (060)___ Department. 1942. 27 Cook (060)___ other — to learn each other’s requirements, me 28 Cook's helper (521) . thods of operation,capabilities,and limitations — 2390 MRiegcghear n(i1c8,9 t)a..n...k.. ..(.4.04)-1 thereby improving coordination and the quality 31 Welder, general (256) of Ordnance service rendered. However, the 32 Basic (521) work required by a tactical unit will vary widely, 33 Total enlisted resulting in poor equalization of the evacuation 34 Aggregate load. Also, the tactical unit may make a sudden movement of some length, requiring the platoon 35 O Carbine, cal. .30 36 0 Gun, machine, cal. .50, HB, either to follow or to make other arrangements. flexible •........................ — This necessitates close liaison between company 37 0 Oun, submachine, cal. .45. 38 0 Launcher, rocket, antitank headquarters and the platoons. 39 0 Klfle, cal. .30____________ 40 O Trailer, 1-ton, 2-wheel, cargo 41 0 Truck, Jf-ton............................. 42 O Truck, Ji-ton, command and reconnaissance with winch. Assignment to specific areas. - Platoons 43 0 Trwucitkh, wJii-ntocnh,. ..w...e..a..p..o..n... .c..a..r.r..i.e..r., may be assigned definite areas instead of definite 44 O Truck, 2)^-ton, cargo, with tactical units. Much of the discussion in the pre winch....................................... 45 0 Truck, wrecking, heavy......... ceding paragraph will apply also in this case. 46 I 0 Truck. 40-ton, tank recovery.. However,the loads may be more easily equalized by adjusting the areas from time to time as the (A. O. 320.2 (9-24-42).) need arises, and platoons will not be required to 488889°—42 follow tactical units. Reports In order to facilitate the equalization of loads on the various platoons, company head-